arm workouts

Take the guesswork out of your home fitness routine with a quick and effective workout. This high-energy session focuses on building strong arms, and its fast pace will keep you engaged, helping the time fly by. Turn on the accompanying Spotify playlist, grab a pair of light dumbbells, and a yoga or Pilates mat, and get ready to move. Keep reading for the full workout, plus the playlist.

What do push-ups, cycling, and sitting hunched over a computer all have in common? Tight and tense shoulders. Aside from scheduling an appointment with a massage therapist, you can hop on a mat and show this area some love with this chest- and shoulder-opening yoga sequence. Move through all 11 postures on the right side, and then repeat on the left.

Push-ups are one of the most effective exercises to target your upper body, and mixing in some variations to the basic move will help tone your abs, legs, and butt. Here's a circuit workout combining six different dynamic variations of the basic push-up. If you're unsure how to do each one, check out the description below.

Basic Push-Ups: Come into plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders and your feet hips-width-distance apart. Keep your core engaged as you bend your elbows out to the sides, lowering your torso toward the ground, then straighten the arms. Do regular push-ups for 30 seconds.

Wide-Arm Push-Ups: Separate your hands so they are slightly wider than shoulder-width-distance apart, and do 30 seconds of push-ups in this position.

T Push-Ups: From plank position, do one regular push-up, but as you reach the top of the push-up position, lift your right arm up toward the ceiling, stacking your shoulders and creating a T-shape with your body. Release your right arm back to plank position, do another push-up, and as you reach the top of the push-up position, lift your left arm up toward the ceiling. Alternate like this for 30 seconds.

One Elbow In, One Elbow Out: From plank position, as you lower, bend one elbow behind you, brushing it against the side of your torso, and bend one elbow out to the side like you're doing a regular push-up. Repeat push-ups like this for 30 seconds on each side.

One-Legged Push-Ups: From plank position, lift your right foot a few inches off the ground. Keep that thigh engaged, and do 30 seconds of push-ups in this position and then 30 more seconds with the left foot lifted.

Backbend Push-Ups: Roll over onto your back, coming into Wheel Pose. As you exhale, bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward the floor, stopping before it touches. Then inhale to straighten your arms, coming back into Wheel. Repeat for 30 seconds.

Complete this four-minute circuit four times. If your upper body isn't strong enough to do push-ups with straight legs, then do this circuit with your knees resting on the ground — you're still working your upper body.

Tone up your arms with our five-minute, five-move plan. Perform the following exercises for one minute each — all you need is a yoga mat and a pair of light dumbbells to get started.

Number One: Upright Row

• Stand with your feet hip distance apart and place a dumbbell in each hand. Your closed palms should be facing your body.
• The shoulders should be over your pelvis, with knees slightly bent.
• Keeping the dumbbells close to your body, raise them to your shoulders, bending your elbows out to the sides.
• Slowly lower them to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
• Perform as many reps as possible — while keeping proper form — in one minute.

Number Two: Overhead Press

• Stand with your feet hip distance apart and pick up the weights, holding the dumbbells so your palms are face down. Lift up your weights until they are at your shoulders, palms facing forward, with elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Raise your arms until elbows are extended, moving the weights until they almost touch above your head.
• Slowly return back to the starting position (with elbows at a 90-degree angle).
• Perform as many controlled reps as possible for one minute.

Drop the weights, hit the floor, and perform the following three arm-toning exercises.

You may be bundled up now, but tank top season is quickly approaching! Get ready and and gear up with a workout aimed at targeting your arms and core. Mixing a series of specific arm exercises like bicep curls with a variety of planks, this series will work both your arms and core simultaneously. Get the most from this workout by customizing it to your fitness level, using the dumbbell weight of your choice, and choosing your rest time in between sets. Remember — those racerbacks will be here before you know it!